According to French Road Safety, around 20% of French drivers have insufficient eyesight to drive and do not know it. The topic is often overlooked: we think of glasses for reading or watching TV, not for the wheel. Yet visual acuity is one of the core medical criteria of the driving licence, and breaking the rules exposes you to a fine and licence suspension.
Legal visual acuity thresholds
Category B (car) licence
Minimum binocular visual acuity of 5/10 with correction if needed. If only one eye is functional, minimum 6/10 acuity with at least 6 months of adaptation. Horizontal visual field must be at least 120 degrees.
Heavy-goods and passenger-transport licences
Stricter standards: 8/10 for the better eye and 1/10 for the other, with or without correction. A visit to an approved doctor on the prefecture list is mandatory at the start, then renewable based on age.
When the 'corrective lenses' code appears on the licence
Code 01 on the EU format
Code 01.01 (glasses) or 01.02 (contact lenses) appears on the back of the licence card if you declared a correction at the exam. As long as the code is there, you MUST drive with your correction, or face a 135 euro fine and 3-point deduction if checked.
How to add or remove the endorsement
If your vision changes (reading glasses after 40, laser surgery), you must declare it. A visit to an approved doctor from the prefecture list produces a certificate, then submitted via the ANTS account. The new licence arrives within a few weeks.
Presbyopia: when to start watching
After 45, signs to watch
Difficulty reading the speedometer, increased night-time glare, eye fatigue after 30 minutes, blurry vision on mid-distance signs. These call for an eye exam without waiting for the next routine appointment.
Progressive lenses at the wheel
Well tolerated after a 1 to 2-week adaptation. The intermediate zone (dashboard, sat-nav) must be specifically tuned. Many opticians offer 'driving' lenses optimised with a wider field and stronger anti-reflective coating.
Night vision: a special case
Night vision drops naturally with age and can be altered by an early cataract, even mild. Some drivers see well in daylight but suffer chronic glare from oncoming headlights at night. An ophthalmology consultation, ideally with a specific mesopic vision test, avoids dangerous situations.
Mandatory medical exam: who is concerned?
Standard B licence
No mandatory periodic medical exam. It is up to the driver to declare a change if they consider it necessary. This French specificity (most neighbouring countries impose a check after 60 or 65) has been debated for years.
Cases requiring an approved-doctor visit
Heavy-goods, passenger-transport, suspended licence for alcohol or drugs, candidates with a disability, drivers with a mandatory-declaration condition (epilepsy, insulin-treated diabetes, some heart or eye diseases). An approved doctor is required: not a regular GP.
Beyond the licence
Best practice: an eye exam every 2 years before 40, every year after 60. Keep a spare pair of glasses in the glovebox (in case the main ones break en route). Check your prescription is up to date before a long trip, especially night driving.
DevisPermis expert insight
Eyesight is the medical criterion most overlooked by young drivers and most often forgotten by experienced ones. A quick test at a pharmacy or optician is free and takes 5 minutes. Do not wait for a crash or a roadside check to act. The right reflex: a check-up after passing the licence, then every 2 years.
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Frequently asked
Your questions on this topic
What minimum visual acuity does the B licence require in 2026?
The minimum visual acuity required for the B licence in 2026 is 5/10 binocular with correction, the sum of both eyes, with at least 1/10 in the weaker eye. Horizontal field of view must reach 120 degrees. These thresholds are set by the 28 March 2022 decree. Below them, an approved-doctor check is mandatory (36 to 50 euros) before issue or renewal.
What does the 01 mention on the driving licence mean?
The 01 mention on the driving licence requires wearing visual correction (glasses or lenses) while driving. Printed on the back, it stems from the eye test taken at the exam. Driving without correction when the 01 mention applies exposes to a 135 euro fine and 3 licence points lost. In a bodily-injury crash, insurers may cut compensation by 25 to 50 percent.
How often should drivers have their eyes checked?
Driver eye checks are recommended every 2 to 3 years before 45, then every 2 years between 45 and 60, and yearly after 60. Presbyopia appears around 45 and cataracts around 65. 30 percent of French drivers may have insufficient vision to drive without knowing it. An eye exam costs 30 euros under standard tariffs (Sector 1).
Can you drive with a cataract or glaucoma?
Driving with a cataract or glaucoma remains possible as long as acuity meets 5/10 binocular and 120-degree field. Beyond that, an approved-doctor opinion is required. Cataract surgery (average waiting time 4 to 8 months in 2026) restores 10/10 acuity in 95 percent of cases. For glaucoma, the visual field is checked every 6 to 12 months.
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